Impostorism: An evolutionary concept analysis

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the concept of impostorism as applied to nursing and other disciplines.Background: Impostorism has not been well defined or studied in nursing.Researchers have not studied connections between role transition stress of new graduates and impostorism, despite evidence that nursing students experience impostorism during undergraduate studies.Design: Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis was the method used in this study. Data Sources: The databases used were Academic Search Complete, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, and Dissertations and Theses databases.Review Methods: All nursing-specific citations were included in the literature sample. Of the remaining non-nursing citations, stratified random sampling provided 28 nonnursing citations. An additional purposive sampling of seminal impostorism publications resulted in 46 resources for analysis.Results: Concept analysis revealed that key attributes of impostorism include fear of failure and difficulty accepting praise. Impostorism antecedents relate to personality, attribution, family, workplace, and sociodemographic variables. According to concept analysis, a conceptual definition emerges of impostorism as a subjective, inaccurate self-assessment involving feelings of intellectual and professional incompetence and fraudulence despite external evidence of success.Conclusion: Impostorism has undergone evolutionary changes in various disciplines.However, the nursing discipline needs more research related to nurses' experiences with impostorism in the workplace.

Burnout and impostor phenomenon in nursing and newly licensed registered nurses: A scoping review

“…This self-doubt persists despite positive evaluations and personal or professional success. The development of IP has been associated with obtaining a new role with new responsibilities, the presence of challenging tasks, pressure to display confidence, and fear of feedback and evaluation (Barrow, 2018). Challenges associated with being an NLRN include increased professional responsibility and accountability and the perception that patients and other healthcare colleagues expect that "NLRNs should know everything" (Christensen et al, 2016).…”

Assessment of Impostor Phenomenon in Student Pharmacists and Faculty at Two Doctor of Pharmacy Programs

“…A c c e p t e d D r a f t 2 unchecked and allowed to fester and propagate, these feelings can potentially further stymie career growth, impede innovation, and may limit corporate ladder progression. 3,11 Given the potential effect that IP can have on personal and professional growth across disciplines and demographic groups, an appropriate first step is to examine the prevalence of IP in student pharmacists and faculty members. However, no literature has described IP in these populations.…”

“…Multiple contributing factors to IP in health professionals have been suggested including gender, religion, demographic factors, cultural factors, familial factors, and training environment. 3,4 While not much literature exists in pharmacy to date, studies point to a high prevalence of IP in other health professions, (primarily medicine) though not associated with years of training, age, and most demographics. 3,[5][6][7] Furthermore, many pharmacists may have difficulty formulating their professional identity (a sense of how one views oneself combined with how others see them).…”

“…10 While internal factors such as anxiety and depression can negatively affect those who experience IP, these feelings can cause external consequences. 3,[5][6][7] For example, IP may have an impact on one's career trajectory such as indecisiveness, avoiding responsibilities, self-sabotage, inability to delegate, postponing deadlines, and many more self-limiting issues. Left…”